Down This Road We Run
by MissRedge
Summary: When Vie is separated from her group together she teams up a man who also happens to be her saviour from the old times. Follow them as they try to find their friends and discover why they still continue to fight for a living.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay. For people who may or may not figured it out this is a story from my old account khnoir which I no longer use. For the people who do know me I basically lost all my stories, story plans, character profiles, everything wiped clean because of a Trojan virus that managed to sneak in. Luckily my laptop was saved so at least I didn't have to fork out for a new thank god. So now I'm starting anew and since this was the one story I loved so much I am completely rewriting it - again. With a new a title (it was originally called Blood Bonds) and character who wasn't in the original original version. Whatever. Honestly I much happier on where this is going. **

**Anyway enough of that. Please enjoy. I'm sorry it's a little short but this is just to get the ball rolling. The rest will be much longer. Hopefully. Anyways enjoy~!**

Chapter One – By a Hair

She slams the door shut; sliding down panting sweat drips down her forehead and neck dampening her red hair. There's a massive stitch in her side echoing through her ribs and her lungs feel like they're in flames. Any more running and would have probably had a heart attack there and then. Once she caught some of her breath back she takes her blood ridden baseball bat and places it somewhere it's easy to grab in an emergency. A girl with bright blonde hair touches her shoulder smiling tiredly.

"We made it….Vie" she says pulling her into a hug. Vie breathes deeply leaning her pounding head on her shoulder.

"Yeah Jayne, we made it," she replies. Her face turns into a frown and pulls away walking into the living room. "But we barely crossed the street." She places her bag down and wanders into one of the bedrooms. A man groans lying face down blood splattered all over his back soaking his once white t-shirt while another older man prepares some tools for cleaning the bleeding claw marks.

"I'm sorry dude but this isn't going to be pleasant. Though I think you already know that." He spots Vie in the doorway looking worried and motions to her. "Hey, think you can give me a hand? I think Ray could do with some support to help him get through this." She nods and sits down next to their injured friend stroking his hair gently. Ray looks up and smiles weakly.

"Hey baby girl. You okay?" Vie smiles sadly slapping his arm ever so softly.

"Idiot. Don't ask stupid questions, of course I'm okay. You…took the blow for me after all." Ray looks away.

"I've been through enough shit, you haven't. Besides I can't let that body be destroyed now can I?" Vie shakes her head while Jayne appears rolling her eyes.

"You're such a perv Ray. Even in an apocalypse girls is still all you think about."

"Well I managed to group up with two beautiful girls. No man can resist temptation." Suddenly he cries in pain as the other man starts cleaning his wounds with peroxide. Gripping the pillow tightly he squirms about nearly kicking the man in the face.

"Whoa! Vie hold his legs down would you would? Jayne, see if you can comfort him." He dips the cotton wool in more peroxide.

"I'm sorry man, I'm sorry…" Vie nearly gets kicked herself as she watches the wounds bubble and everyone's painful expressions at the sounds of his cries.

"Come on Ray. It will be over soon okay? Why don't you tell me about the first girl you kissed?"

"Yeah Ray. I bet it was a busty girl no doubt." Ray whimpers and takes a breath.

"Her name was….Christi….and she had the biggest boobs out of the whole of 10th grade. God she was hot. She wasn't a cheerleader nor was she one of the popular kids. She was the nicest girl who could ever meet and she liked me, out of everyone else me! I remember the kiss so well. It was a warm spring day. She was wearing a floral dress that looked great on her. She had called me up that day to meet her under a blossom tree. That's when she told me she liked me and then we kissed. It was amazing. She was amazing and I felt so lucky to have her in my life." He was so caught up he didn't realise that the cleaning was done and he was being bandaged up. Vie and Jayne looked at each other with happy smiles.

"My god that's so romantic Ray. Who knew you had a soft side?" Vie's smile drops when she sees the pained look on his face.

"Did something happen to her?"

"She…died. It turned out she has some rare life threatening disease. A couple of days before that kiss she found out she had only a couple of months to live. She told me she had always liked me ever since she first met me in 7th grade and she wanted to spend every second that she could with me…"

The room falls silent only the occasional faint groan from outside.

"Well this mood is too depressing for me. Ray, get some sleep and that's an order from a doctor here. In the meantime I'm going to cook us dinner. Why don't you girls check the hot water and take a shower? I know you want to Jayne. You wouldn't stop complaining." He leaves the room with Jayne at his heels protesting that she was only moaning because some boomer vile landed on her yesterday and she still hasn't washed it off. Vie sits on the end of the bed running her hands through her hair.

"I'm sorry….it was me who provoked you to tell us….if I had known"

"It's fine. It happened like what 8 years ago? I've had many girls since her of all sizes. And I don't just mean your dress size." Sighing she takes his hand squeezing it gently.

"But weren't quite her were they?" Ray shakes his head and gets more comfortable in the sheets.

"Get some sleep okay? I'll wake when it's dinner." She walks into the living and collapses on the sofa suddenly feeling drained.

"We have hot water however not a lot," Jayne nudges her leg with her booted foot. "Shared shower?" Vie nods and they disappear into the bathroom. Immediately Jayne strips off her clothes and turns the shower on. However Vie hesitates.

"Ahhh so good! Come on! Or you suddenly chicken now after all these years?" Sticking her tongue out she joins her best friend under the refreshing water.

"No I'm not you silly whore." They take turns washing each other hair before applying soap to themselves one at a time.

"I'm not a whore, I'm just popular. Or was popular. You know what I mean." They swap over so Vie can wash the soap off.

"You know…I still think of him. Even now." Her best friend turns her round so quickly Vie nearly slips on the wet surface of the bath.

"If this is about that guy who saved you from being run over that day you still haven't told me shit about him." She turns off the shower and climbs out handing over a clean towel. They quickly dry themselves and retrieve the spare bed clothes they picked up along the way. Once dressed they sit back in the other bedroom and start brushing their hair.

"So does he have a name?" Vie bites her lip.

"I never actually got his name.."

"Oh my god, are you serious?! You keep going on about him but you never asked his name?! You idiot!" She slaps her with a cushion.

"Ouch! Sorry okay? It just never came up. Besides he was going to be late for work."

"Well you know what he looks like at least right?" Vie nods.

"He was wearing jeans and a red vest. Oh he had a pair of blue overalls in his hand. Looked like mechanics overalls. And a tribal patterned scarf around his neck."

"Yeah, was he handsome?"

"I guess so. He had shaggy brown hair and really blue eyes with a little stubble and he was tall, skinny but muscular I think. I'm guessing he was about early 20s?"

"Whoa sounds quite the dreamer. Not bad. Seems all my tricks are rubbing off on you." Vie chuckles playfully hitting her back with the cushion.

"Yeah right. At least I didn't get my braces lip locked in 6th grade." She jumps out of the way as the air wave of a cushion flies past her.

"Shut up! That was so embarrassing!" Soon they're both running around the room smacking each other with cushions and trying not to make too much noise because of Ray in the next room. The door opens.

"Having fun are we girls? Just wanted to let you know dinner is ready."

"Yay! I love your food Jacob. You make even the simplest of foods taste good." They disappear to the kitchen while Vie goes to wake up Ray. Soon they're all sitting around the table, eating and talking like a group of friends having dinner before watching the Super Bowl or something. Just trying to be totally normal. Because that's all you can do sometimes when the world has gone to shit.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I said the next chapter will be long. I think this is longest I've ever written. Oh well I hope you enjoy this. You should cause this is next day upload! Next day!**

**Anyways enjoy~! Oh and I actually work in a fast food place so I kinda know a little too much about how to cook burgers ^^''**

Chapter Two – Scavenging Gone Bad

Stretching out her limbs Vie slowly rubs the sleep from her eyes; Jayne snores softly besides her on the single bed her long hair standing up at odd angles. Vie pulls an uh oh face. She knew how much her friend hated her bed hair and today was exceptionally bad. Sliding out of bed she wanders around the house finding Jacob already awake as usual.

"Morning Jacob." She yawns sleepily.

"Morning." He smiles back heating up some bake beans in a saucepan.

"Don't you sleep? I swear you're always awake when I get up."

"Don't worry I do. Last night though not so much. Ray had trouble sleeping so I stayed up to keep him company." Vie stares at her bare feet still troubled by what happened.

"That should have been me."

"That shouldn't have been any of us. Ray may be a pervert but he knows how to take care of a girl." He puts some wild berries in a bowl and gets out cutlery.

"I didn't ask to be saved. I had a shot I could have killed that hunter before it got anywhere near me."

"Vie. We all know you only had two bullets left. That's nowhere near enough to kill a hunter. If Ray hadn't….if he hadn't jumped in the line of fire, you would be dead now." He pats her head gently.

"Go wake the others. And don't worry. Ray's not dead yet." Vie smiles a little and turns away from the doctor.

"Yeah…but the nest day he could be."

She walks back into the second bedroom and tickles Jayne awake who immediately started freaking about her hair. As Vie gets dressed she watches in amusement at the blonde as she tries to frantically brush it smooth again.

"You could just cut it." A glare meets her eyes and she cowers a little away.

"Hell. No. I spent years trying to grow this out I'm not letting it all go to waste."

"Okay." They walk into the master bedroom and are greeted by Ray's tired but usual shit eating grin.

"Ah my lovely nurses have come to hand feed me. What a good way to start my recovery."

"In your dreams pervert. Think you can walk?" He pouts nodding and the two girls take each of his arms and help walk him into the living room.

"God I feel like an old man. Oh well I least I have two beautiful ladies helping me." They all settle eating. Well except Vie. She ate quickly so she can study the map for the next plan of action. At little while later she finally finishes the plan.

"Okay. So we all know we're going to be stuck here for a few days while Ray recovers. I've been the supplies and we have enough to last while we're here," She sighs loudly taking off her black framed reading glasses and pinching her nose. "I wanna run a two-man scavenge."

"Whoa hell no Vie! That's suicide and you know it. You said so yourself."

"I'm sorry I agree with Jacob on this one. We can just about do a four-man scavenge let alone three or even two." Vie waves her hands.

"I know, I know! But what options do we have? Ray can't go anywhere and Jacob needs to stay here in case he turns," She bites her lip. "We need everything and we need it now. What if Ray's wounds suddenly get infected or worse he turns? We won't have enough supplies to make it to the train station and you never know we might not be able to find anymore. It's now or never." She looks to Jayne's worried face.

"There's a huge mall about 10 minutes away from here. If there's anything left in this area it will be there," She packs away the map and supplies book. "We leave in an hour." And with that she leaves to clean her bat and make sure she's prepared for the trip.

An hour later the girls are ready.

"Two hours okay? You girls don't come back by then I will come looking for you, no exceptions."

"Don't worry we'll be back soon." They open the door and take a look around. An empty street. So far so good. They swiftly move out guns ready for any sign of walker activity. Still nothing. They lower their guns but still have fingers on the triggers. One can never be too careful in a world like this.

About half way down the road Jayne opens her mouth to say something but it closes again unsure of whether to speak her mind.

"I know you're not happy about this."

"Of course I'm not Vick. I'm fucking terrified of what we could find there. Could be completely empty for all we know."

"And what you think I'm not?" Vie stops shaking her head. "I'm just as scared as you are. We all are. God knows what's around the next corner. But we spent a month just us two remember? I don't want to do this as much as to you do. But what choice do we have?" She carries on walking past the abandoned cars and houses the question lingering in the air like a baring ghost. They duck behind a car and observe the large structure of the mall. The building itself is still intact but the sign above the main entrance had lost half of its letters, the glass had been smashed to pieces and blood and rotten corpses littered the ground surrounding it.

"What do you think, Vie? Front or staff entrance?" Vie ponders examining the area.

"Staff could be closed and possibly alarmed. I'd say front. The glass has already been smashed through so that alarm certainly shouldn't be working." They move out and make their way towards it. Carefully they step over the mountain of bodies hoping there wasn't any alive underneath the pile. Once inside they grab a forgotten map each. Luckily the power was still on so they could save batteries in their flashlights.

"So we need the pharmacy for a start…"

"There's a small one on this floor."

"Good, that'll be the first stop."

"Maybe we should try the food court. Might be something we can salvage."

"Oh! If we try the outdoors store we can maybe find a portable cooler or even a freezer to carry some frozen food in. Stuff like that keeps for weeks right? Could still be decent."

"Good point. Right I think we're sorted."

"And a clothes shop." Vie bites her lip in thought. "Not for us this time, for Ray. I don't think he really wants to stay naked even though he probably wouldn't care much. He needs new jeans as well."

"Okay, there's a store on the second floor which has both men and women's. Wait do you know what size he is?" Jayne sharply looks away however that only makes Vie tease her more.

"Oh so do you know. And I thought you hated him." A pouting Jayne punches her playfully on the arm.

"Shut up! I took his old clothes and before I chucked them I took note of the sizes. If you think I like that pervert you have another thing coming."

They walk through the eerie mall finding the pharmacy busted open, naturally, and hunt through the selves. Luckily there were still some essentials left and they load up before climbing the silent escalator to the next floor.

"Hey do you remember the last time we went to the mall and that supposedly rich Spanish guy tried to steal me away and you sternly told him we were a lesbian couple?"

"I only said it because you clearly weren't interested in him and he wasn't going to let you escape unless it was with him."

"God his face was the funniest thing I had seen ever! He looked so disgusted!" She gives Vie a quick squeeze.

"This is why you are my knight and some not some asshole who only wants me for my boobs."

"Yeah sorry, what boobs are we talking about?"

"Hey you bitch!" They softly giggle stopping front of the clothes shop. This too had been busted open and they could clearly see the items had been thrown about the shop floor along with some of the racks.

"It looks like everyone panicked when this first happened and grab anything they could."

"That day…that was mad. That poor girl…getting eaten like that in front of everyone. No wonder Kian threw up." Vie pats her shoulder.

"We got lucky," She rubs her eyes hoping that headache wouldn't set in now. "Right, these clothes won't pick themselves. Go choose the guys stuff and I'll see what's left in the underwear section."

They separate and sort through the passable from the blood soaked. Suddenly there's a crash coming from the menswear.

"Jayne?" Vie unhooked her baseball bat. Guns would be too risky in case a swarm of walkers suddenly appear out of the blue. She slowly walks to wear her friend should be.

"Jayne?" A soft grunt alerts her and she hurries through the racks of shirts to see Jayne trying to shake off a grounded walker.

"Urgh get off me!" She shakes her foot trying to keep her balance as they both one wrong step can cost a life.

"Jayne!" Vie rushes forwards slamming the bat down hard on its head, once, twice, three times until it falls still blood seeping from its sunken brain. Vie checks her friend worriedly.

"Are you okay? He didn't bite you did he? Scratch you?" Jayne pulls her into a tight hug holding her close.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. He didn't get me. If he did I would know." She strokes her cheek then pinches it.

"So don't start sobbing on me you big cry baby." Its Vie turn to hit her.

"I'm not a cry baby, not anymore."

"Yeah sure. Let's just finish up and move on."

They gather everything they need, moving a couple of shops down to the camping equipment store. As with most of the shops they climb in through the broken shop window and find a freezer cooler small enough to be carried but only by both of them.

"I hope we get lucky and don't run into anything." Jayne leads the way carefully tugging the bulky thing up to the top floor.

"If we run into a horde just leave it okay? As much as some meat would be nice it's not worth losing your life over it."

Walking into the burger parlour Jayne nearly throws up on the spot from the stench if mouldy food that had been brought but then forgotten. Passing behind the counter Vie lifts the basket of black fries out of the filthy oil turning her face away from the horrible smell that followed.

"Looks like they just ran and left everything….That is disgusting! Oh god I'm hurl!" Jayne drops her end of the mini freezer and drops to her knees throwing up her breakfast all over the tiled floor. Vie swallows trying to hold her own breakfast down as she stares upon the body whose head still remained the boiling hot vat sizzling away. Over the past few weeks they had seen some pretty gruesome things but this was the worse.

"C-Come on Jayne…let's just get to the freezer and go." They shimmy their way past trying to block the vile image out of their brains. Out back they come across two large white doors.

"I go left." Jayne places her hand on one door while Vie takes the other one. Together they open them and Jayne squeals. She obviously got the fridge as she gags from the nasty smelling ingredients. Inside the freezer Vie searches through the boxes; fries, chicken strips, chicken burgers before coming across a whole box full of burger patties. Jayne enters as well still gagging.

"You do not want to go in there. The cheese…bleugh!" Vie shows her the box.

"You were right. This meat is still well in date as long as it stays frozen. Unfortunately we can't take the whole box. It's way too heavy to carry anyway." Jayne goes to touch the meat but Vie slaps her hand away.

"Whoa, gloves woman. You can't just touch raw meat with bare hands. Cross-contamination silly. There should be some clear blue gloves somewhere on a wall rack outside." Jayne nods and brings back some gloves.

"Oh yeah you were working part-time at somewhere like this weren't you?"

"Yep. My first job. Not ideal but the pay was good. It was perfect to get me through college even though I was flipping burgers and having to deal with shitty customers day in day out." They load up about a third of the box and lock it tight; they also take a bag of seasoning, some frozen buns, sauce, and anything else they can carry.

"God this is heavier than I thought. You think we can make it back without trouble?"

"I hope so." Vie leads the way past the deep fried walker and slowly they climb back down to the ground floor. Retracing their steps Vie suddenly stops tensing up. A few walkers stand in their path blocking them from the main entrance. Luckily they hadn't noticed yet but they were still in their way.

"Shit what do we do?" Vie scans the surroundings and notices an open staff door. She motions to Jayne and they sneak away going a bit faster now down the corridor.

"I think we're going to get out of here. And with this meat too."

They turn the corner and a couple dozen walkers stare back at them alerted by the noise.

"Oh fuck." Quickly the walkers inch closer to them with sudden speed.

"RUN!" The girls turns on their heels and leg it back down the corridor out into the plaza again only to be met with another horde of walkers. Vie quickly looks for a clear path and soon she tugs on the box in that direction.

"This way! Hurry!" Running as fast as they can with a freezer full of food Vie remembered there was another main entrance on the other side of the mall. Except this one was also blocked by even more walkers. Panicking the girls look around as they slowly become cornered in.

"Oh my god! Vie, what do we do?!" Vie stares at the rotten faces teeth baring seemingly scared frozen until Jayne's cries echo in her ears and she snaps back to reality. Looking at the upper floor she tugs the box again.

"We have to go up!" Two at a time they race up them and runs back towards the clothes shop. Another cluster. Across the walkway that stretches over the ground floor Vie sees a shop shutter that hasn't been closed properly and runs towards. But she trips over a discarded handbag and the box goes flying nearly falling off the side. Jayne drops her end too to aid her friend however the walkers gain on them. Vie looks to the box then to the walkers. If she tries to get the box the walkers will get her before she can escape to the shutter. Jayne didn't realise that and frantically reaches for it.

"No Jayne! You'll be killed!" She pulls at her friend's top pulling her back.

"But!"

"Leave it!" She pushes her underneath the shutter following suit and slams it shut. Soon the walkers are banging on the metal gate roaring trying to force through. The two girls shut the shop doors and lean against the sweet shop counter panting.

"Fuck!" Jayne kicks the counter not caring if it hurt her toe. She was too angry to care.

"No it should be me you're kicking! I fell over in the first place, it's my fault!" The girls sit in silence catching their breath.

"No, it's my fault. It was my idea in the first place. I'm the one to blame."

"I am to blame too. I knew how heavy those mini freezers can be. And how heavy the meat patties can be as well."

"Now what do we do?"

Suddenly the power goes off plunging them into darkness.

"What the…" Fumbling the dark Jayne successfully finds her flashlight and turns it on.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"What is it?" Vie pushes her bag over in frustration.

"My flashlight is gone. It must have fallen out of the pocket when I fell. At least we got yours. You changed the batteries like I suggested you did right?" Jayne looks away sheepishly.

"You did change them right?" The light flickers a couple of times.

"I'm sorry okay?! I was tired and must have forgotten to do so before I went to bed!" Pinching her nose Vie pats her head.

"It's okay, it was a long day, and sometimes you forget things. It's natural." Using what light they have they look for a way out and find a back door leading to a stock room then eventually a back into the staff corridors. Just as they figure out which way to go the light goes dead sending them back into darkness once more.

"Hold up. I got a lighter still." Vie fishes it out of her pocket and flicks it open. The small fire provides some light to see by. It's not much but it's enough to see her best friend looking scared out of her wits.

"Why? We were doing so well. I thought….we could make it…"

"Silly cow. We made it this far. Let's just keep going okay? We have a promise to uphold." She takes her hand and together they find a stairway leading back down and hurry down them. Yet once again lady luck is not on their side. A truck had crashed into the building blocking the only non-walker invested exit. The other routes either lead them back into the shopping area where the walkers are still probably waiting for them or the boiler room. Vie slowly opens the boiler room door baseball bat ready to hit whatever jumps out. Seemingly safe they enter and rest for a moment.

"This place is like a maze."

"No shit." Vie examines the dials and other equipment with no clue what any of it means.

"Hey! Look! I think we get out!" Jayne brings the light over and they see an exit sign above the door. Vie tries it and curses when it doesn't budge an inch. To her left she sees a corpse belonging to an overweight man slumped against the wall with maintenance overalls on. And a set of keys attached to his belt.

"He must have the keys to this door. I'll get them, you stay on guard. Kill anything that comes through that door okay?" She carefully stares fishing about trying to get the belt off him.

Then she freezes. The sound that they know too well echoes around the room. The sound of a boomer. Jayne starts panting loudly raising her gun with a shaky hand.

"Vie….hurry…I don't see it…."

"Hang on, I've almost got them." Soon she snatches them in her hand and turns in time to see the boomer standing right behind Jayne.

"Behind you!" Jayne turns as the boomer spits all over her. The slime makes her slip over landing on her back. She caused the boomer to explode but that became the least of their worries. The lighter goes flying right towards the boiler. For a moment all they hear is the sound of the boiler making creaking noises before Vie grabs Jayne. They flee the room just as an explosion knocks the wind out of them. Vie slams against the floor in a daze. Her vision blurs; she can't see Jayne anywhere nor can she hear her over the ringing of her ears. Something drips down her face over her right eye into her mouth. Soon she blacks out seeing only red and the orange of flames all around her.


End file.
